Mumbai GMLR tunnel work gains pace as Tulshi tunnel-boring machine completes 64 metres of excavation

Tunnel excavation work under the GoregaonMulund Link Road GMLR project has gathered pace with the lsquoTulshirsquo tunnelboring machine TBM completing 64 metres of excavation so far the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC said on ThursdayThe GMLR projectrsquos Phase3 B involves the construction of twin underground tunnels between Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari Film City in Goregaon East and Amar Nagar in Mulund West passing underneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park The two tunnels are being constructed using TBMs and are designed to have three lanes eachThe first TBM named lsquoTulshirsquo was commissioned on August 17 and has completed 64 metres of tunnel excavationDuring this work 27 ring segments have also been installed as part of the tunnel construction along with two temporary ring segmentsMeanwhile the assembly of the second TBM lsquoViharrsquo has reached 92 per cent completion The BMC said the machine is expected to undergo a Site Acceptance Test SAT from October 13 following the installation of the complete systemSubject to the successful completion of all technical tests excavation of the second tunnel is scheduled to begin on October 22Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar reviews GMLR tunnel work safety and project progressAdditional Municipal Commissioner Projects Abhijit Bangar visited the project site on Thursday to review the ongoing underground tunnel work and the overall progress of the twintunnel projectDuring the inspection Bangar reviewed the tunnel excavation process ongoing construction activities technical aspects safety measures machinery performance and construction quality He also assessed the planning and measures required to ensure that the project progresses as per scheduleThe twin tunnels are being constructed from Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari towards Khindipada in Mulund The parallel tunnels are each 470 km long Their diameter is 1420 metres while the section passing through the Sanjay Gandhi National Park has a diameter of 13 metresThe lsquoTulshirsquo TBM is a singleshield Earth Pressure Balance EPB hardrock machine Its cutter has a diameter of 1449 metres while the machine has a total length of 83 metres including a 22metrelong shield section and a 61metrelong threestorey backup gantryThe TBM is equipped with a fully automated muckhandling system comprising a 340metre conveyor system cross conveyor and stacker conveyor According to the BMC the system is intended to facilitate efficient muck transportation improve productivity and ensure safer operations in challenging geological conditionsBangar also directed officials to prepare a dashboard for monitoring the tunnel project The dashboard will include details such as the percentage of work completed current project status tunnel excavation progress daily excavation expected completion safety measures and the project scheduleGMLR tunnel project BMC pushes timely work safety and manpower planningHe said such a dashboard would allow the progress of the project to be assessed at a glance and provide officials and engineers with transparent information about its current statusldquoTunnel excavation work under the project has commenced and approximately 64 metres of excavation has been completed on one side It is extremely important to maintain the pace of work consistently as per the stipulated project timelinerdquo Bangar saidHe directed officials to immediately implement measures to prevent delays in excavation and regularly review the progress of work available machinery technical requirements and manpower needs Additional manpower and technical staff should be deployed wherever necessary he saidBangar also stressed that worker and engineer safety must remain a priority alongside the pace of excavation given the highly technical and challenging nature of the work Officials were directed to strictly follow prescribed safety standards at every stage ensure the availability of required safety equipment and implement preventive measures after assessing potential risksThe ambitious project is targeted for completion by February 2029 Bangar directed all agencies involved to work in coordination and ensure that the project is completed within the stipulated timeframeChief Engineer Bridges Rajesh Mule Deputy Chief Engineer Bridges Naresh Meghrajani along with other officials and engineers were present during the inspection